What a help desk analyst does
A help desk analyst is the first point of contact when employees or customers have a technology problem. They answer calls, chats and emails, log each request, reset passwords, restore access to locked accounts, walk users through fixes and connect remotely to resolve issues. When a problem is beyond first-level support, they gather the right details and escalate it so the next person does not have to start over.
The help desk shapes how your staff or customers feel about your IT. Slow or confusing support creates frustration and lost time across the whole organization. Finch screens help desk analysts for clear communication, patience under pressure, accurate ticket notes and the technical basics your environment needs. If your help desk serves customers rather than staff, we also screen for service skills suited to that audience.
Typical responsibilities
- Answer support requests by phone, chat, email and ticket portal
- Reset passwords, restore locked accounts and handle basic access requests
- Troubleshoot common software, email and connectivity issues remotely
- Log, prioritize and update tickets according to service levels
- Escalate complex problems with complete, accurate notes
- Contribute to knowledge base articles and self-help guides
Qualifications and credentials
- A college diploma in information technology or a related program, or equivalent support experience
- Familiarity with Windows, Microsoft 365 and Active Directory or Entra ID
- Experience with ticketing systems such as ServiceNow, Jira Service Management or Zendesk
- Certifications such as CompTIA A+ or ITIL Foundation are often assets
- English and French may be required for some national or customer-facing help desks
Who hires a help desk analyst
- Banks, insurers and other large employers with internal service desks
- Managed service providers and IT outsourcing firms
- Software companies offering customer technical support
- Hospitals, universities and public sector organizations
- Retail chains supporting staff at many locations
Where we recruit help desk analyst candidates
We fill help desk analyst roles for employers across Toronto and the GTA, including North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, Burlington, Oshawa and Pickering, and for employers across Canada. GTA employers can meet us at our North York office by appointment.
What Finch checks before you meet a candidate
- Clear spoken and written communication, assessed during screening calls
- Technical basics such as account management, email and remote support tools
- Ticket handling habits, including prioritization and documentation
- Composure with frustrated users and a steady pace in busy periods
- Availability for your shift pattern, including evenings or weekends if needed
Interview questions to ask
- Explain to me, as if I were a new employee, how to connect to the company VPN.
- You have several tickets open and a manager calls with an urgent issue. How do you prioritize?
- What information do you include when escalating a ticket?